Automatic air-brake-hose coupling.



S. M. DICK.

AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE HOSE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 23. I914.

Patented Feb. 19,1918.

SAMUEL M. DICK, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC AIR-BRAKE-HOSE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Tatented Feb. 19, 1918.

Application filed November 23, 1914. Serial No. 873,449.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. DICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air-Brake-Hose Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to automatic hose couplers for railway trains, and has for its object to simplify and generally improve the same in the several particulars hereinafter noted. Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view showing two cooperating hose couplers partially engaged, some parts being broken away and some parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken centrally through the same, some parts being removed; and

Fig. 3 is a detail in section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 on enlarged scale.

The hose couplers are located under and supported directly from the coupler draw bars, not shown, and hence are arranged to swing laterally therewith by supporting brackets 5 rigidly secured to and depending from the said draw bars. Each hose coupler comprises a coupling head 6, which, on one side of its center is provided with a forwardly projecting alining cone 7, and at an equidistant point on the opposite side of its center, is provided with an alining ring or cone receiving seat 8. The alining cones and seats of cotiperating hose coupling heads are alternated, so that the cone of the one will enter the seat of the other when the car couplers are coupled together. Otherwise stated, (directions being taken in respect to an observer standing at the end of the car, and hence from the car), if the alining cone is at the left hand side, then the cone seat would be at the right hand side. By this arrangement, duplicate hose coupling heads on two cars will always be arranged for cooperation.

Each coupler head 6 is provided with a rearwardly projecting tubular stem 9, located centrally between the respective alin ing cone 7 and receiving seat 8. The ends of the tubular stems 9 are adapted to be connected to flexible hose sections by coupling devices of any suitable or well known con-- struction and are passed loosely through the hanger brackets 5, with freedom for limited lateral and vertical oscillatory movements. Any suitable means, not shown, may be provided for holding the coupler head 6 against rotation in the hanger brackets 5. Coiled springs 10 are placed around the stems t) and are compressed between the hanger brackets 5 and the rear faces of the hose coupler heads 6. When two coupler heads are forced together, as shown in Fig. 2, the springs 10 will be compressed, but when the coupling heads are separated, the springs will throw the heads forward as far as permitted by stop nuts 11 and washers 11" on the said stems. The tension of the springs 10 tends to maintain the hose coupler heads normally in forwardly proiected positions with their stems 9 horizontally disposed, but the loose connections between the stems 9 and the brackets 5 will permit the said heads to swing vertically and horizontally far enough to permit the cooperating alining cones and seats to force the heads 6 into proper coiiperative engagement under varying conditions, such as irregularity in track, or angularity produced when the cars are coupled on curves. Except for these limited movements just noted, the hose coupler heads partake of the movements of the car couplers, and the car couplers, therefore, hold the hose couplers within such positions that the alining cone of one hose coupler will always enter the alining seat of another hose coupler.

At their outer extremities, that is. at the outer faces of the hose couplers 6, the tubular stems 9 open against and aline with axial perforations of annular diaphragms 12, preferably of rubber. These diaphragms 12, ha mediately surrounding their axial perforations, are of such thickness that they project slightly beyond the outer face of the respective head 6, but they are provided with reduced marginal flanges that are held by annular keepers 13, which, in turn, are held in place by externally threaded rings 14,

that have screw-threaded engagement with. seats counter-sunk into the heads 6. The said rings 13 and 14- tightly clamp the reduced marginal portions of the diaphragms 12 against annular bosses 15 formed on the faces of the heads 6, and the said heads 6 immediately inward of the said bosses 15, are provided with annular chambers 16 that surround the inner extremities of the passages through the stems 9. The said annular chambers 16 communicate with the axial passages of the stems 9, through radial ports 17.

When the hose coupler heads are forced together by coupling of the car couplers 1, as shown in F ig. 2, the thick portions of the diaphragms 12 will be tightly pressed together by the very act of coupling; and when the air. or steam is turned on, the pressure thereof, acting in the annular chamber 16 against the inner faces of the diaphragms, will increase the pressure between the said diaphragm and thereby insure the tight joints required to prevent leakage. The springs 10 must, of course, be of sufficient tension to hold the diaphragms in engagement under the required pressure, to maintain tight joints. Obviously, the cooperating alining cones and seats serve to accurately position the cooperating diaphragms and when the car couplers are uncoupled and two cars separated, the hose coupler heads are automatically separated without requiring any special manipulation.

The tension of the springs will tend to maintain the tubes of the hose coupler heads approximately horizontal, but the weight of the heads will be suflicient to cause a slight forward incline of the said tubes which is desirable for drainage purposes.

By referring particularly to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the thick portion of the gasket 12 overlaps and extends radially, both inward and outward of the annular air chamber 16, so that when two coupler heads are forced together, the pressure is transmitted directly against the inner ends of the tubes 9 and against the surrounding bosses 15.

As the annular air chamber 16 is in constant communication with the interior of the tube 9 through the ports 17, the diaphragm is subject to the same pressure that is upon the walls of the tube, and hence, forces the gasket of the one coupling head against the gasket of the other coupling head with the same high pressure that is found on the walls of the pipe. The joint is thus sealed with a pressure corresponding to the pressure in the connected pipes, and thismakes leakage impossible. The tension of the spring 10 is regulated by the nuts 11, adjustments of which vary the distance between the hanger bracket 5 and the coupler head. The said springs should, of course, be of suflicient strength to prevent the gaskets from being separated by the pressure in the annular chambers 16.

What I claim is:

A hose coupling head provided with alining devices and having a tube terminating at the outer face thereof, and provided with an annular air-chamber spaced concentrically outward thereof and having a radial port connecting said annular chamber to the interior of said tube, in combination. with a pliable joint-forming gasket having an axial passage and seated against the delivery end of said tube covering said an.- nular chamber and clamped against said head with an air-tight oint concentric with. but outward of said annular chamber, the said gasket having a relatively thick annular portion overlapping said annular air chamber and projecting at its outer face slightly beyond the outer face of said coupler head.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL M. DICK.

Witnesses HARRY D. KILeoPE, F. D. MERCHANT.

Copies '01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissionerof rateats,

Washington, D. C. 

